A group of teachers discussed key parts of Ken Robinson's book: The Element.

1. Teachers Take On The Element: A Book Discussion

2. “As a parent..” How do I help my kids find their elements? How do I help them find gainful employment that appeals to their elements? Raising kids and now teaching kids in two different generations is tough to switch to “element-centered teaching.” This book spends most of its time helping people try to find their element.

3. When It’s Not Work “To develop our creative abilities, we also need to develop our practical skills in the media we want to use. It’s important that we develop these skills in the right way” (76).

4. Importance of the Tribe “Connecting with people who share the same passions affirms that you’re not alone; that there are others like you and that, while many might not understand your passion, some do” (116). Find validation in your passion.

5. “Children learn best when they learn from each other and when their teachers are learning with them” (238).

6. “As a teacher…” I want to show my students that I know what my element is. I am in my element when I am in my classroom. I want to make my classroom a safe place for students to discover their elements. Appeal to students other intelligences with assessments

7. The Point: Chapter 11 “…education doesn’t need to be reformed – it needs to be transformed. The key to this transformation is not to standardize education but to personalize it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.

8. How do I translate The Element to my classroom? Create assessments that appeal to other intelligences Assessments where memorization is NOT a key element = this is difficult for many of our teachers to get away from Create collaborative projects that allow for equitable grading Find a balance between subjective & objective assessments

9. Translating The Element to the Classroom (cont.) Create assessments that allow for written expression of experience Self-evaluation Evaluation by group members Teacher assessment How did you learn about...

10. Looking Outside the Classroom How do we advocate for real education when the system does not appreciate that? We have to translate those project (authentic/valid) assessments for our students to “the flawed system.” The System speaks a language of A, B, C, D, F Mastery, Fluency, Competency, Low Competency, Non-Comprehension

11. Image Credits All image credits go to Corbis.com: CRBR005153 42-18454494 CSM001935 42-18877539 42-22252802 0000261666-010 42-19972066 42-17696988